Keep on Writing by @JoRobinson176

It’s easy to get daunted by the vast quantities of books published on Amazon every day, and also by some successful author’s suggestions that you shouldn’t be trying to charge for your books if your work has not been approved by legitimate traditional gatekeepers. Why bother putting in all the hard work of writing books if they’re just going to be buried by the millions, or trashed by the literati?

Why you should definitely bother is because of what self-publishing is. People who buy books from Amazon are fully aware that the vast majority of them are by Indie authors, and they’re going to be pretty sure that they want any given book before they pay for it. Not every book you write is going to be great. I never figured out what the point was to Stephen King’s The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, so writing every book that you write that everyone will love is not something that even the greats can do.

The rules are that anyone can publish on Amazon and nobody has the right to try and prevent you from doing just that. Obviously we’re not going to purposely publish a book that is going to get trashed, because when we write books we’re doing it to make for pleasurable reading. If we do slip up and readers hate what we’ve written we can unpublish that book and try harder to get it right next time.

Before the advent of self-publishing, I would say that I absolutely loved about twenty percent of the traditionally published books that I bought. Some I liked. Some were just so-so, and some I disliked so much I never finished reading them. I paid for all of those books, but I never once thought I was entitled to a refund. If they’d been totally full of typos and illegible I would have though, so that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about the actual stories.

Of the Indie books I’ve bought I’ve actually loved more than twenty percent and liked most of them. Only a small percentage have been typo riddled or illegible. Indies try harder to perfect their end product, and should not be discouraged by negative talk from any author, no matter how popular their own books are. Fair is fair, and every single writer fresh out of the gates is just as entitled to their own publishing journey.

Don’t let this sort of thing put you off Indie scribblers, and don’t feel that you have to submit your book for years and receive a hundred rejection slips before you share your tales with the world. Produce the best book that you can, and let your readers decide. This is a great time to be a self-published writer, and everyone has to start somewhere. Keep your eye on the prize, and write on. Never let the naysayers steal your mojo.

42 thoughts on “Keep on Writing by @JoRobinson176”

Reblogged this on Daily Echo and commented:
“…. I absolutely loved about twenty percent of the traditionally published books that I bought. Some I liked. Some were just so-so, and some I disliked so much I never finished reading them. I paid for all of those books, but I never once thought I was entitled to a refund…”

Thanks for this encouraging post. I didn’t know that some people argue that authors should not charge for their work unless it has been given the seal of approval by gatekeepers. I have read articles arguing that most self-published work is bad (a point of view not shared by me)! however I haven’t come across the former point. Kevin

Thank you Kevin! There is actually quite a bit of that going on. It’s especially painful when it comes from Indies who also started out with books that weren’t perfect some time ago but are now doing well. I reckon Indies are cool, no matter where they are on their journey.

This is a great post for a writer like me who is just beginning to explore the options of publishing. You are so right about all those books we buy from traditional publishers – some we like, some are so-so, and some we never finish. It’s a great perspective to keep in mind that a book can be great and successful even when self-published. Thanks for the encouragement!!

Thank you Jen! I think that the readers of the world are discerning enough not to have to depend only on the keepers of the slush piles to decide what they read. No reason not to be proud of the Indie way.

I agree I love indie books. I don’t need someone to decide for me what I should read. I would say I wish all indie authors employed editors, I don’t mind typos and spelling mistakes but stories that could have been good but weren’t really annoy me.

Unfortunately, a lot of indie authors can’t afford editors or I’m sure they would employ them! That includes me. That’s also why I go over my manuscripts dozens of times and have other people go over them as often as I can get them to (for free or a copy of my book). When I have some money I will employ an editor, until then I’m just going to have to do it another way.

Well there is always going to be those books that need more editing. I know what you mean…. 🙂 Like you, I have read some indie books that probably didn’t use an editor but were much better than some traditionally published books. Life is interesting that way.

You’re exactly right here Jackie. When there is no budget we just need to try harder with the editing process and try getting other free eyeballs to go over our work. Here’s wishing you loads of success on your Indie way.

I liked this post, Jo. I probably read two books by indie authors for every one I read by an author with a big publishing house. Most are pretty good – and it’s a great way to learn what makes for a good read. I’ve started mentally critiquing some of the “bigs” and have found some wanting.

Thanks Noelle! I found quite a few typos in Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep, which obviously I don’t blame him for. Indies seem to be subject to sterner critique though, sometimes more so by their peers. There are some really bad Indie books out there, but I’ve read many more good ones. 🙂

Thought provoking post, Jo.
I support indie writers. Might as well go indie as wait and wait for a traditional publisher. I have read a few who I felt rushed into the game before they were ready. This is a good time to self-publish so long as they present their best and get edited. Mistakes happen. Sad to say, even traditional publishers aren’t perfect either these days.
The way to make a lasting impression is to make a g.o.o.d. one first time around.<3

Thank you Tess! You’re right – I think that this is a great time to self-publish. The thing is not to expect overnight success, just the same as going the route of the rejection letter pile. We learn as we go, and we get better as we do. ❤